Storage structure



D KNAPP STORAGE STRUCTURE.

FILED JUNE 27,1921- Patented Mar. 2TB, 1923.

STATE STORAGE STRUCTURE.

Application filed June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,893.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELBERT KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage Structures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others SXlllGCl in the art to which it appertains to make and" use the same.

This invention relates to the storage of bulky commodities, such as coal, for example, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved structure adapted for the convenient storage of such commodities, especially coal, in diflerent sorts, and in large quantities in a limited floor space.

The invention is fully disclosed in the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a storage structure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 through the intermediate filling chute hereafter to be described. Fig. 4 is a section on the same line at the lower end of the same part of the structure.

In the drawing the numeral 5 denotes the outer rail of a spur-track. At the lawful distance therefrom is set the storage structure. This, in practice, is preferably composed of five bins 6 disposed on three sides of an area-way 7, open to the track. In this area-way is sunk a pit 8 of sufiicient depth to allow the coal from the adjacent bins to flow by gravity into a large hoisting bucket 9, which is supposed to be operated by power, not shown, connecting with a cable 10 connecting with a cross-bar 11 running on vertical guides 12, like an ordinary elevator. All of the adjacent bins communicate with the pit by radiating inclined chutes l8 and 14, a portable chute 15 being used to carry the coal from the bin-chutes to the elevating bucket, as shown in Fig. 2. The floors of the various bins are inclined to the chutes, as shown by the shading, and as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The coal may thus flow by gravity from the bins to the elevator in reclaiming the material, and all shoveling, or practically all, be dispensed with.

The bins are composed of horizontal planks 16 secured to posts 17, the bins,'and thinner posts 18 sides of the partitions between two bins.

external to set on both The walls are bound firmly together by diag onal steel braces 19 bolted to the walls and through the posts across the corners.

practice these are set about thre vertically, and bind the bins ing, and withoutcontents.

interfering Tn e feet apart against bulgwith the To economize floor-space the bins are run herein shown being in a thlrty feet in height.

quire, those coal over the top by means of portable chutes, and depth would provision is made for the coal, as discharged tend to break it up shortening permitting it to fall the full injuriously, the drop of from the elevator.

Portholes 20 in the walls opening on the court, are lnwardly hooded at 21, and may thus receive the coal higher fill. bar-screens, which riddle out at any desired level, the ones being used sucessively as the bins These are shown at 22 provided with the line stuff, and

allow the larger coal to pass into the bins.

Receptacles for these screenings ed below the or walls 23 are providscreens by diagonal partitions 1n the corners of the court.

These are provided with suitable bottoms above the main delivery chutes.

The openings 25 are closed by suitable sliding gates 26, operable by hand-levers 2?. Separate gates 28 for the main chutes may connect with the same levers by the use of longer link connections, which are so simple as to need no description or illustration.

This arrangement and construction 1S such as to permlt the storing and reclaiming of coal, and other almost exclusively,

materials, of machinery, and this by the use,

of a sim le character and without complicated or superfluous movements.

The elevator moves simply up and down,

no lateral movement being required.

The

material as transferred from the car is carried straight up to the desired level, and discharged by gravity, over a suitable chute.

to its appropriate bin.

The port-holes to the different bins are disposed at such levels as to cause little breakage and but a moderate amount of dust, the small stufl being caught in separate compartments whence it may reclaiming the material for dist operations are equally simple be removed as occasion demands.

Tn ribution the and rapid.

The elevator being lowered into the pit, a chute carries the stored material to the elevator, on the lifting of any desired gate, and being elevated, it is discharged into wagons, trucks or cars in the same manner as in the filling of the bins.

In practice the floors of the bins are preferably of concrete construction. The novel construction of the walls, however, makes it practicable to use wood in their erection, and secure adequate strength, at very much less expense than would berequired fora metal, or a reinforced concrete structure.

The construction is such that no other fastening of the walls at the corners is needed than the bolting of the sections together through the connecting tie-bars. This is sometimes of great advantage, and especially when the location of the bins must be changed, since it is possible to unbolt the structure, and with a derrick load the walls bodily on heavy trucks and transport them to the new site, where they may be reassembled with little loss of time.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A storage-group consisting of continuous rectangular bins adjacent to an open court on three sides, and provided with receiving port-holes at a level intermediate between the floor and top, the diagonal bins beingaccessible by chutes disposed cornerwise of said bins.

2. A storage-group composed of five similar, rectangular bins, enclosing an open court on three sides, and provided with filling port-holes at various levels, the portholes for v downwardly inclined the corner bins communicating with said bins through diagonal passageways.

3. A storage-bin composed of vertical supporting posts, transversely, disposed planking attached thereto, internal tie-braces connecting the posts across the corners, floors and a discharging chute joining said floors along lines which are downwardly inclined.

4. A storage system, comprising a group of storage-bins disposed around a court open on one side, and provided with discharging floors and chutes inclined, downwardly toward the court, a pit in the court communicating with said chutes, and hoisting apparatus adapted to sink into the pit below the level of the chutes, and receive the discharge therefrom by gravity.

5. A storage system, comprisinga group of rectangular bins disposed about an open court and. provided with port-holes for filling from the court, inclined chutes: leading from the floors of said bins, slidable gates therefor, a pit into which said and hoisting apparatus adapted to sink into the pit below the outlet level of the chutes.

6. A group of storage bins disposed about an open court and having filling-ports in the interior walls, screens inclining from the ports into the bins, and enclosures separate from the bins disposed below said screens.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

DELBERT KNAPP. Witnesses:

F. W. ARMsTRoNe, G. C. ELLwooD.

chutes open 

